'Just asking!': Trump goes on another early-morning tweetstorm about Hillary Clinton and Russia

President Donald Trump.
REUTERS/Carlos Barria
President Donald Trump used Twitter on Monday morning to revive criticisms about Russia, Hillary Clinton, and Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta.

"Was the brother of John Podesta paid big money to get the sanctions on Russia lifted? Did Hillary know?" Trump tweeted.

In a follow-up tweet, the president wrote: "Did Hillary Clinton ever apologize for receiving the answers to the debate? Just asking!"

Trump seems to be referring to leaked emails that suggested the interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, Donna Brazile, shared information about CNN-sponsored debates with Clinton's campaign. The president may also have been referencing reports in The Daily Caller about Podesta's shares in a firm with links to Russian investors.

Earlier Monday morning, Trump praised a "Fox & Friends" segment on the "unmasking" of the names of Trump associates who may have had their communications incidentally collected by US intelligence officials.

"Such amazing reporting on unmasking and the crooked scheme against us," Trump tweeted. "'Spied on before nomination.' The real story."

Over the weekend, Trump also used Twitter to draw attention to the Fox report.

"Wow, Fox News just reporting big news. Source: 'Official behind unmasking is high up. Known Intel official is responsible. Some unmasked ... not associated with Russia. Trump team spied on before he was nominated,'" Trump tweeted on Saturday afternoon. "If this is true, does not get much bigger. Would be sad for U.S."

Trump's administration has repeatedly said that the focus of the investigation into Russia should be on who was responsible for revealing the names of the Trump associates, rather than any connections between the campaign and a foreign power that interfered in the election.